Greg, Did you ever step on your dog's tail? Did he yelp? How do you know it really hurt? I don't know how to answer "how do I know if a deer feels pain"? I don't think anyone would deny that a deer is a high enough form of life to feel pain, and it is my assumption that the deer feels the same amount of pain that you or I would if we were hit by a bullet or an arrow. The difference is that the deer doesn't understand that they have been shot. They don't associate the pain with the hunter. Their instinct is to run away from the hunter, and I imagine it hurts to run with an arrow in your thigh. Why don't I feel the same way about pulling the hook out of a fish? I guess I don't think the fish feels the pain like a mammal does. If they do, they don't convey it to me. Or maybe, like hunters, I'm just used to it. Your arguement "they're going to die from something anyway" holds true for all of us doesn't it? Glad you aren't a doctor.
As for standing up and taking it, well, maybe I should have known better than opening my mouth about hunting on a outdoor-guy-type forum, but this has turned into a great discussion. I admit that I have a better understanding of the several different viewpoints. I'll just keep shooting targets.
